What Happened Next
by bray4amber
Summary: Post season finale for CSI:Miami season 7 and CSI:New York season 5. Two people who've lost their partners support each other throught the hard times. Calleigh/Eric and Flack/Stella eventually!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just a heads up - I'm a sucker for happy endings and have been a Calleigh/Eric shipper since season one - if you want an unhappy ending this isn't the story for you. Sadly I can't promise the same for Jess but Don is just too pretty not to have some happiness.... With the exception of the first little bit most of this story will be written as a sequence of e-mails. I did this once before for a stargate story I wrote - hope the format doesn't annoy anyone too much (she says hoping anyone is going to read!)**

**Disclamer: If I owned it Don and Eric would be naked in showers a whole lot more!**

* * *

**Prologue**

**Miami**

'So Calleigh, how are you doing today?' The therapist took a breath and looked at her most difficult patient. Any patient required to attend by MDPD was going to be reluctant but this woman took not wanting to talk to a whole new level.

'The same' Calleigh took a seat. They both knew she was only here because if she didn't come she wouldn't be allowed to work.

'Have they made any progress on Eric's case?' The therapist privately thought that it was unlikely that they ever would, but until her client admitted that they were never going to get anywhere.

'It's still open' and Calliegh was spending every free moment she had combing the area around where they had last seen Eric, not that she was going to admit to that. In the last six weeks she had barely slept, she ate only because everyone at the lab insisted on feeding her.

The rest of the session continued as it had started, with Calleigh giving only the briefest of answers and the therapist getting nowhere.

'Listen Calleigh, as you obviously don't want to talk to me, and you aren't talking to your friends why don't you try this?' The therapist handed over a card, a last resort. Calleigh looked down at it. 'It's an internet support group, for emergency services personnel who have lost people they worked with. Completely anonymous.'

**New York**

'How are you doing?' Stella approached Flack with two cups of coffee. She handed one to him and perched on his desk.

'Same old, same old' After a week of grieving Flack had put on his macho man act and now spent his time trying to pretend that he hadn't just lost his best friend and lover.

'How was the therapist?' Stella was one of the few people who would dare ask Flack a question like that, she knew that he respected her too much lose his temper with her. She was concerned that he was bottling everything up and everyone was letting him get away with it. All she could do was make sure that she was there when he finally broke down.

'Gave me something new' Something Flack would never have agreed to if it wasn't for knowing that it would stop Stella worrying about him for a while. 'An internet group of all things'

* * *

From: Cal09

Date: 07/07/09 23:42

Subject: Hi

Hi Yankee,

How are you doing? I hope you don't mind me e-mailing you. I lost my partner six weeks ago too. I saw your post on the group today. It's the only place anyone else seems to understand.

Calleigh

* * *

From: Yankee

Date: 08/07/09 22:02

Subject: Re:Hi

Hi Cal.

It's good to talk to you. I don't know what to say, how to start. E-mail isn't really my thing – my therapist told me about this group (don't you just love mandatory counselling?!!?!). Everyone wants me to talk about what happened. I can see my friends worrying about me. I just don't know how talking about Jess will help. She's gone and I know she isn't coming back. What do I do now?

Sorry, I'm getting maudlin and I don't even know you. What was your partners' name?

Don

* * *

From: Cal09

Date: 11/07/09 20.14

Subject: Re: Hi

Hi Don.

Sorry it's taken a couple of days. It's hard for me to talk about this, I don't know why I feel comfortable talking to a stranger like this but I sat down tonight and it seemed like the right time to write. He was called Eric. And the worst part is I don't know what happened to him. The file is still open. We found the car but no sign of Eric. Everyone thinks he is dead, I can see it in their eyes when they look at me. (My therapist certainly does – maybe we should compare notes?) They think I'm mad for not accepting it. Maybe I am.

You asked me what to do now? I guess the answer the shrinks would give is to grieve and move on. All I can do is work and hope to forget for a few minutes. Sometimes it works. It certainly feels like the rest of the world is forgetting Eric.

What happened to Jess? - Sorry, you don't have to answer that.

Calleigh

* * *

From: Yankee

Date: 13/07/09 02:38

Subject: Re: Hi

Cal,

I'm working the night shift but the boss won't give me any real cases and I haven't been assigned a new partner yet, guess no one wants to be around me – can't think why... Stella, Danny and the rest of the lab are the only people who try. On nights like this Jess and I used to go to this great little place for a slice. We'd never get to finish it, someone would always call in a Homicide and the rest of the shift would be gone. She used to joke that if cops would just stop eating pizza the homicide rate in New York would halve.

Anyway, instead of twiddling my thumbs, I figured I'd write you. I can only imagine what you are going through. I never thought I would ever be relieved that I held Jess in my arms as she died, but at least I got closure. If she was missing I'd be turning the city over looking for her. Are there any new leads in Eric's case?

And if you are going to tell me that I guess I should tell you. Jess got shot. We were on the phone talking about our dinner plans. She was with a convict, they were in a diner. The people he was going to testify against filled the place with bullets. I got to the diner before anyone else, I drove her to the hospital but it was too late. They told me she died in surgery but I knew she was gone when I let her go.

I can see Stella coming, more coffee...

I hope you are okay,

Don.

* * *

From: Cal09

Date: 14/07/09 23:42

Subject: Sunglasses

Hey Don,

I hope you don't mind but I lit a candle for Jess today. I'm not religious but Eric is. Going to his church helps me feel close to him. I don't know what the priest thinks of me. I come in and sit alone when it is empty, a white girl in a Cuban church. He never says anything, he just smiles and leaves me be.

There aren't any new leads in Eric's case. There haven't really been since the day we found the car. Last night was the first night I've had free that I didn't go out alone, searching. Alexx came round. She bought a bottle of wine and we talked about Eric, about the days he first joined the lab. I noticed you mentioned Stella and Danny from the lab. Are you a CSI as well? They sound like good people. Is it warm in New York – here in Miami we've just had the hottest day of the year? I was working a case of a body found in the glades, a husband shot by his wife. Being out in the glades is hard. I'm still looking for evidence about Eric everywhere.

I'm guessing a bit here but it sounds like Jess was more than just a work partner. It's okay if she was. Eric and I worked together for seven years before we got together. I made him wait such a long time. I wish I hadn't wasted so much time.

Calleigh

P.S. In Miami we joke that if our boss would leave his sunglasses at home for the day we could all take a vacation.

* * *

From: Yankee

Date: 15/07/09 04:06

Subject: Re:Sunglasses

If you work in Miami then I think I met your boss a couple of years ago, he came to NY for a case. Ginger? Kinda stood out in sunglasses inside the precinct. He's an old friend of Stella's? Harold? Henry? Hornblower? Something odd right?

I'm not a CSI, I've just spent a lot of time with them the last few years, working homicide. Danny is my best friend. He's a little busy at the moment, him and his wife Lindsey (she works at the lab too) have just had a baby girl, Lucy. I get to babysit this weekend. Being with Lucy is the best thing I do at the moment – she doesn't ask questions, she doesn't want to know how I'm feeling, she's just happy someone is there.

You were right about Jess. We were together just under a year when she got shot. At the time I thought it was hard dating someone I worked with. Now I wish I had just seen all the small stuff for what it was. Unimportant. I look back and think about all the fights we had over nothing, I wish I hadn't wasted so much time.

I can't believe it was only a week ago I posted on that web group. Stella said that she has seen a change in me this week – thanks (she doesn't look at me with the worried eyes so much.). You mentioned Eric when he first joined the lab - what was he like? I remember the first time I met Jess....

Better catch some sleep before Stella switches all my coffee for de-caff.

I hope you get some more leads soon,

Don

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it's taken me a while to get another chapter up - I had an idea for this story and I know how it's going to end, it's getting there that's the challenge! Also I know my Miami better than NY, so forgive me for any canon mistakes (I already spotted one in the first chapter!)**

**Thanks to all the people who added me to their alerts list and to Hcainefan 123 and Ryanfan14 for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned them - Eric and edible chocolate, mmmmmm.....**

**Part 2**

* * *

From: Cal09

To: Yankee

Date: 20/07/09 08:23

Subject: No Subject

Don,

Have you ever had one of those weeks where everything goes wrong? It's been like that this week. It started when we were called to a head found on the side of a pond. Someone had to go diving for the rest of the body, it was the first time since Eric disappeared that we've had to call in a specialist – diving was always his job. The case went from bad to worse, every lead was a dead end. We finally realised that it was a Cuban gang hit. I guess IAB wouldn't be too pleased if I gave you all the specifics of the case but needless to say we ended up with someone shooting at the team – thank god no one was hurt. On top of all that I've been ill.

A couple of years ago Eric was shot in the head, so yesterday bought back some bad memories. That was probably the first time I realised that we had more than friendship. I can still remember sitting by his hospital bed, waiting for him to wake up. After that he changed, in a good way. Became more serious, less interested in short term relationships with lots of women. I should have done something then, maybe if we had been together longer he would have been able to tell me about what was happening with his biological father.

The first weeks after he came back were the best, I was so relieved he was alive and okay. We started making the most of all the little moments. Sorry Don, I'm waffling. It just helps to remember the good times when it gets hard. What were your best moments with Jess?

My therapist was pleased I'm talking to you to. She was Eric's therapist too, the second one after the first one died. I'll tell you that story another time.

My boss is called Horatio (I had Ryan laughing all day when I gave him your description). Did he really keep his sunglasses on inside the precinct?

Calleigh

* * *

To: Cal09

From: Yankee

Date: 20/07/09 23:24

Subject: Re: No subject

Cal,

I hope you are feeling better. Did you catch the guy who was shooting at you? Me and the gang from the lab were shot at when we were out for a drink the day Jess was buried. We were lucky that no one got hurt.

What happened with the therapist – sounds interesting?

You asked about my best moment with Jess. It got me thinking – and you're right, thinking about the good times does help. I remembered our first kiss. I'd had a tough day with my sister. She came to pick me up but I needed to walk. It was one of those defining moments when everything just came together. After that she became so much more than a partner on the job.

I've been working on a case with Stella and Danny. We've got bullets everywhere from five different guns, it made me think of you.

Don

* * *

To: Yankee

From: Cal09

Date: 21/07/09 18:15

Subject: Moments

Hi Don,

The guy who was shooting at us was found with a bullet in his head. We thought he had been shot by one for the SWAT response team but it turned out that he hadn't. The bullet in his head was from a gun that was stolen three months ago. There are no leads on the shooter at all, except for the fact that whoever it is saved the life of a several cops and there aren't many criminals who will do that. I've got a feeling that it is going to be a while before we close this case.

The therapist was one of the defining moments that you talked about in your last e-mail. As usual for us it started with a call to a crime scene. The victim was the daughter of Eric's first therapist, later on his therapist, Dr Marsh was found dead as well. As part of the investigation we had to go through all her patient files. I got his, he could have asked me to take it out but he didn't, I've wondered about that since. There were things in his file about me, things he couldn't tell me then, about what he wanted for the future. I'd never thought seriously about settling down before.

Did you and Jess ever talk about the future?

Calleigh

P.S. How is sorting out all the bullets going?

* * *

From: Cal09

To: Yankee

Date: 22/07/09 11:46

Subject: Bored

Hi again, Don.

Sorry for e-mailing you again Don but I'm bored. H sent me home after he caught me being sick again. I guess I'm not over the flu I had.

H has me confused. His attitude to Eric just doesn't seem right. I would have expected him to be as desperate as I am about finding Eric, he started off trying everything but about four weeks ago he just stopped. Now it feels like he has forgotten Eric - they were brothers in law for god's sake. Yesterday he wanted to talk to me about a memorial service. I don't think I can do it, I can't accept that Eric is gone.

Sorry, I'm getting morbid. I don't cope well with not being able to work. The doorbell is ringing, I think Horatio might have sent Alexx to look after me.

Speak to you soon.

Cal

* * *

From: Yankee

To: Cal09

Date: 23/07/08 22:09

Subject: Re: Bored

Cal,

Two e-mails in two days, I'm honoured! I caught your e-mail just as I got in from playing basketball with Danny. Lindsey, Stella and Lucy came to watch. Danny said he brought his wife and daughter to show off his prowess, we all know that it's really because he can't bear to be separated from them. I'm not really sure why Stella came, I guess Lindsey wanted some company.

If you're sick make sure you are looking after yourself. I've had Stella and my sister Sam bringing me dinner for weeks. Sadly they've decided I have to start standing on my own two feet again. Stel makes this awesome greek dish, maybe if I look pathetic she'll still feed me once in a while? I may not have met him but I know Eric wouldn't want you to make yourself ill.

Not that long ago I was accused of hurting a suspect in custody. While they were investigating I was put on desk duty. Mac bought me a book of Sudoku, kept me from going insane, particularly as Jess and I were fighting at the time. Maybe you could try that to kill time?

Don

P.S. I've been wondering whether or not to say anything, I don't want to get your hopes up but I remember how I felt being on the phone with Jess when she was shot. I don't know what I would do if I didn't know what had happened to her. Cal, is there any chance that the person who saved your life by shooting the guy shooting at you could be Eric?


End file.
